Deathbed
by Meulin's Disciple
Summary: He left me alone... I wanted to live the rest of my life with him... But... he was unsent, and I knew that I too one day would die and we would be together. It was enough to keep me going... Oneshot, AurRikku, slight Tidus/Yuna. Rated T for safety. R&R.


_**A/N:** Heya peoples! Umm... this is my first Final Fantasy X fic. Not much to say about it other than that it was pretty hard for me to write! I'm a hopeless romantic, a believer in true love and happy endings... But unfortunately, not all love-true or not-ends happily. Sometimes, I just have this desire to write about the harsh side of love, the side in which lovers are torn from each others arms against their will... Sorry... I'm getting a bit emotionally involved... ^^"_

_I apologize if Rikku seems OOC, but I assure you that:_

_A. This was intentional, but I tried to soften it up a bit by adding some things that would seem more IC._

_B. As mentioned above, it was intentional. Please keep in mind though that this is how I believe Rikku would act if she were truly in the clutches of such deep sorrow; a much more serious side._

_And yes, I know there is a sequel (I have yet to play it since I haven't finished FFX yet. I'm almost at Zanarkand though; just finished Seymour Flux, who I defeated (and overkilled) with nothing but a Flare, courtesy of Seymour himself, and a SINGLE overdrive from each of Yuna's aeons (for one thing, every overdrive-except for Bahamut's who did more than 9,999 damage-reached the damage limit. For another, take into account that the mortiorchis drains Seymour of hp every time it loses all of its own; the damage adds up) AND I did it all with only one zombified character (coincedentially, it was Rikku XD) and no casualties. So yeah, I was happy, but now I'm just rambling XD), but I'm going by information only given in Final Fantasy X. I've played the ending several times long ago (though I don't remember much from it). The scene in which Yuna Sends Tidus and Auron as depicted in this story is a combination of how the ending really went (though to a VERY minor degree) and my own imagination (yeah, mostly that X3)_

_This oneshot is NOT a songfic, but was inspired by the song "Deathbed" by There for Tomorrow._

_... OF COURSE, the underlines REFUSE to work for me... Good thing the underlining in the actual story was done in Microsoft word... -_-_

_Anyway, please read, enjoy, and of course review! I love to hear my readers' opinions~ ^^_

_**Edit to A/N:** For some reason, the underlines hate me... There are things that should be fully underlined that are only partially underlined; that was UNINTENTIONAL and is BEYOND my control. I apologize... ^^"_

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_It wasn't supposed to end like this…_

"Auron! No… Please…! _Don't go_...!" Rikku desperately pleaded.

_The love between us…_

Auron looked in Rikku's direction; once. Within his functioning eye, Rikku could see an immense sorrow and even a look of extreme guilt.

_Was it meaningless…?_

"Rikku." Auron spoke the one word with such sorrow, but in a way that only Rikku could decipher it as carrying the emotion; the others only heard Auron's normal speaking voice.

_The love we made…_

"Don't forget me… But be happy…" Auron instructed before he nodded to Yuna to continue the Sending; she did so with a heavy heart for she knew that though it was the right thing to do, she was denying both herself and cousin the happiness they had known with Tidus and Auron respectively.

_Was the pleasure we shared all for nothing in the long run; just a way to bare our souls to one another in a love that we both knew wouldn't last?_

"Yunie… You don't _have_ to do it…!" Rikku cried, the tears flowing as freely as blood from a deep wound.

_We knew the relationship wouldn't last, but the emotion behind it transcended all else; time, death, _everything_…_

Rikku _knew_ she was being selfish, she really _did_, but she couldn't bear to lose the only one who had loved her when most others thought her kind a monstrosity, unfit to exist within the same world as everyone else.

… _Auron was able to make me believe in the Farplane, that the pyreflies really_ are_ the souls of the dearly departed._

Yuna looked into Rikku's eyes, a look of the same pain that Rikku felt, flashing within her heterochromatic eyes. When Yuna felt tears burning at the edges of her eyes, she closed them and turned her head away. "I'm sorry, Rikku, but I have to…" she whispered and continued the ancient ritual but with such a deep sadness that it was almost as though she were being forced to do so against her will.

_I'm thankful that he instilled the belief in me… If he didn't, I'd have nothing left, absolutely nothing to live for without him in my life…_

As they faded into pyreflies, Rikku could see Yuna rush towards Tidus to grasp at her chance at one final embrace, though even then it was too late and she passed through the phantasm that Tidus became. But Rikku was so deep in her own heartbreak that she didn't hear the last testament of Yuna's love for Tidus.

_The only thing keeping me going is the knowledge that we will meet again someday on the Farplane… and be happy for the rest of eternity…_

"I can never be truly happy without you… But I'll try, for your sake." Rikku promised.

Auron nodded in acknowledgement, a portion of the weight being lifted from his shoulders.

_Until then, I'll live life, I'll be happy… It'll be hard, but I'll do it for him. But I'll never fall in love again. But why would I need to? I'm still in love with Auron._

And then Auron turned around, beginning to walk away, but stopped momentarily without looking back, as doing so would have been too painful for his already broken heart. "… I love you, Rikku, and I always will; always remember that…" he said in a soft whisper, again, only audible to Rikku's ears, "'Til next we meet…" and, finally, he faded into the Farplane.

_I'll always remember him. Even if it means becoming an old spinster, even if it means becoming one of those crazy old ladies who have thirty cats—minus the crazy part. Even if it means never having kids—not that I really cared either way—I'll do it all in a heartbeat, and I'd do it all with no remorse if it all meant that I would see Auron again in the Farplane once I die… And I know I will…_

"… 'Til next we meet…" Rikku echoed, closing her eyes and clasping her hands together in a prayer-uttering gesture as though willing the tears away, to show Auron that she was strong.

_Then, I realized. The love between us has meaning, the love we made was not in vain; we were able to instill within each other these eternal memories; well, they better at least last the rest of my life! Ha ha!_

…

_I won't forget him. No matter what happens, I'll live life and I'll be happy, for him. And then when I fall asleep for the last time on my deathbed, I'll do so happily, knowing that when I dream of Auron, I will never awaken… And the best part is that it will be real…_


End file.
